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Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by scrrr on Monday March 30, 2015 @03:43AM (#9288102)
A future, in which even minor offences (of whatever kind) are automatically reported to the police, will bring us one step closer to dystopia. I am not sure your "best case" is desirable at all. (Even if I sometimes wish humans would drive more carefully and patiently.)
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by ghshephard on Monday March 30, 2015 @03:54AM (#9288143)
Of course, it will likely be a dystopia in which tens of thousands a people's lives will be saved, so there is that.
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by hipsters_unite on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:12AM (#9288203)
True, but it's a dangerous precedent. The fact is that a lot of law in areas such as traffic, waste management etc is basically meant to be fluid and a deterrent; if everybody that littered where it was illegal, drank from open containers where it was illegal, fly-tipped or sped was instantly caught, then we'd just have tonnes of people in prison for relatively minor offences.

I think there's a desirable degree of pragmatism to be favoured in lieu of unbounded technological utopianism on this point.

Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by TeMPOraL on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:18AM (#9288233)
You don't (shouldn't) put people in prison for stuff like this, you keep fining them increasing amounts of money until they stop doing the thing they are not supposed to be doing. The world would be a much better place if the traffic (and waste) laws were more, maybe even automatically, enforced.
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by ghshephard on Monday March 30, 2015 @05:53AM (#9288543)
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by leohutson on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:52AM (#9288367)
I think a point system is better than fines. Fines are effective deterrents for most people, but they are unfair on the poor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_system_%28driving%29

Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by TeMPOraL on Monday March 30, 2015 @05:00AM (#9288401)
You could also have fines proportional to income. Both fines and point systems have their caveats though.
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by scrrr on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:09AM (#9288189)
Philosophically speaking, no one will be saved. We are all basically dying. Of course it would be nice to reduce traffic deaths, but we should carefully consider in what way our actions will affect society.

We should not assume this will only affect how people behave in traffic, as well. Other offences will likely also be included.

Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by leohutson on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:12AM (#9288207)
How is that worse than a dash cam? Should those be banned so that you can have privacy when travelling on public roads?
Re:The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving by Tepix on Monday March 30, 2015 @04:38AM (#9288300)
They are illegal in Germany.